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The embarrassing John Heitinga tweet about Everton which is re-appearing ahead of his Liverpool managerial debut
Mitchell Tapner
3 – 4 minutes
Liverpool face a tough test against Newcastle United on Wednesday evening – a test they must overcome without their manager.
That is because Arne Slot is serving a suspension, following the Dutchman’s red card in the aftermath of the Merseyside derby.
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Both Slot and his assistant Sipke Hulshoff were shown red versus Everton, meaning the pair will be absent from the touchline for the Newcastle and Southampton clashes.
Stepping into the managerial limelight will be Reds coach John Heitinga, in what will be his debut game in charge of Liverpool.
Heitinga has earned praise since his Anfield arrival, so supporters will be keen to see how he gets on against Eddie Howe’s side.
With that being said though, Heitinga may have already got off on the wrong foot with Liverpool fans – with his past Everton allegiances coming back to haunt him.
READ MORE: Arne Slot suggests Ajax made a mistake with John Heitinga before he decided to join Liverpool
Photo by Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images
Photo by Rico Brouwer/Soccrates/Getty Images
John Heitinga’s old Everton tweet resurfaces ahead of Liverpool manager debut
Before his days as a coach, Heitinga was an established pro playing for the likes of Ajax and Atletico Madrid.
In 2009, the Dutchman would end plying his trade in Merseyside, not for Liverpool though. Heitinga would actually go on to make over 100 appearances for arch-rivals Everton.
Skip 15 years, the former Toffees man now works on the red side of Merseyside as a coach on Slot’s Liverpool staff.
Heitinga however clearly still hasn’t forgotten his love for Everton, with a 2019 tweet of his resurfacing ahead of his Liverpool managerial debut.
Replying to a birthday post from Everton’s official account, Heitinga would say: “Once a Blue always a blue”.
That tweet was of course long before his Liverpool coaching days, but it still undoubtedly won’t sit well with sections of the Reds support – especially when Heitinga would have been hoping for support ahead of his Anfield debut.
Everton boss David Moyes is a fan of Heitinga
Someone who knows Heitinga very well from his time at Goodison is current Toffees boss David Moyes.
The Dutch defender spent four years playing under Moyes, with the Scotsman later reuniting with Heitinga at West Ham.
After appointing Heitinga to his Hammers staff, Moyes sang the praises of his former defender (via the West Ham website)
“John is someone I have known for a long time,” said Moyes.
The former West Ham boss then added: “He has gained some very good experience since beginning his coaching career in the Ajax Academy and working his way up to their first-team.”
